Hardwood Floors April/May 2024

One of Ron-Del Floor Service’s high-profile projects was Gallier Hall, the former city hall of New Orleans, built in the 1850s. The building is now a historical landmark and remains centric to the city’s culture. Pictured here are Michael Caldarera, Elizabeth Caldarera, Ronald Steele, Jr. (who retired in 2022), and Mark Steele, the owners of Ron-Del Floor Service. BELOW: Crescent Hardwood Supply was founded in 1918 by John Troendle’s grandfather, George A. Troendle. John and his wife, Lisa, operate the family business today. Left to right: Roy Troendle, Jr., William B. Troendle, Roy Troendle, Sr., and George R. Troendle, Sr.

RON-DEL PHOTOS COURTESY OF SWANSON PHOTOGRAPHY

One of Ron-Del’s high-profile projects was Gallier Hall, the former city hall of New Orleans, built in the 1850s. While city hall offices moved out of the building in 1957, Gallier Hall has been designated a historical landmark and remains centric to the city’s culture. Each Mardi Gras season, a viewing stand is installed in front of the building, and as the parades roll by, Mardi Gras royalty toast the mayor there. The tradition dates back nearly 170 years. Ron-Del’s work on the floors, which was part of New Orleans’ Tricentennial, consisted of repairs and the sand and finish of roughly 14,500 square feet of existing red oak and American walnut. “We have a big impact on the people in New Orleans just for redoing their homes and restoring the old homes on St. Charles and the Garden District,” says Elizabeth Caldarera. “Our reputation is word of mouth and embodies New Orleans in the wood floor industry. My grandpa started it, my dad and uncle took it over, and my husband started working for the company when he was 16. Now, being on the third generation, we are trying to open the door to new ways of doing floors or even social media to push our business forward.” Crescent Hardwood Supply, a distributor, has operated in New Orleans for more than 100 years. John Troendle, owner, and president, represents the third generation. His grandfather, George A. Troendle, founded the company after World War I. “He was a machinist by trade, so while he was scraping floors, he thought there had to be an easier way to do this,” he says. “He designed a sanding machine that took sandpaper, and then he could sand floors more efficiently than anyone else.”

The fact that it was hard to get finishes at the time is what Troendle says led to the creation of a supply company that made paint and varnishes. Later, the sand and finish and distribution companies were divided into two different businesses, with Troendle running the distribution side since around 1990. Throughout that time, he has supplied wood floors to notable places, some of which include the Old Ursuline Convent Chapel (said to be the oldest building in the Mississippi River Valley, dating back to 1752), the W.P. Brown Mansion, the National World War II Museum, and many celebrity homes.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN TROENDLE

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